1966 Chickens’ Ball – Gaslight Gala

ELEGANCE was the key word for the 1966 presentation, entitle Gaslight Gala. Fran Stewart and Ruby Langford chose Gina Nelson and Fred Sepp as Production Managers and the foursome managed to accomplish the impossible – they dreamed up even more new ideas to keep the Ball as fresh and exciting as ever.

The Lions’ Club once again came up with a real show stopper – the Swingin’ Friars. As a group of wine-making Padres who alternated tasting their own wares with their bell-ringing duties and becoming progressively more inebriated, Bud Johnson, Thor Madsen, John Ryan and Everett Akers were in rare form.

Among the more memorable contributions to the entr’acte fame, was the Terpsickorian Trio, featuring tutu clad Bob Nelson, Dr. William Hornyak and Gay Harding as the lissome ballerinas.

The Junior Matrons danced off with the Lion’s share of the awards this year, capturing two first place and two second place prizes each, as well as one honor for stage design for their offering of If You Don’t Get It When You’re Young, You May Not When You’re Old. The story centered around a candy store where unsuspecting gentlemen were lured inside by ladies of questionable virtue. Audie Justus, Drue Morrison, Betty Casey, Marge Cooper, Lucille Flynn, Phyllis Grover, Avis Bendle, Ruth Cooie, Helen Craig, Jean McGann and Ruth Burton were among the large cast and Bev Bene’ shone as the Jezebel.

No Sinnin’ on Sunday was an especially popular offering by the San Carlans. With a Salvation Army type format, the helpful ones set our to save the sinners with a show-stopping tune written by Jain DeAngeles and John Fairfax. According to the lyrics:

The daughters of righteousness will open your eyes;

We’ll show you the truth and we’ll tell you no lies;

Sobriety, chastity, purity glow!

The daughter of righteousness are running the show.

The daughters of righteousness will save you from sin;

We’ll wrestle the devil and virtue shall win!

Oh, hark to our voices, so splendid so true!

The daughters of righteousness are calling for you!

As in most Balls, the ’66 art crews outdo themselves to presents objects of beauty. Dulce and Lee Morrison transformed the Central auditorium into a plush Victorian jewel-like theater and especially popular were the statues placed on either side of the stage which came to life one by one as the prologue to the program. The afternoon of the Ball’s opening brought near disaster, however, when someone inadvertently opened the door to the auditorium. The wind blew over so many decorations that Dulce had to call Lee home from work to help her repair the damage and work continued right up to show-time.

Another last-minute repair job was required when someone discovered that the S’s on the curtain ads had all been painted on backwards. Another gal who has worked quietly in the art department for a number of seasons is Ruby Jones, who is perhaps most famous for her flip-card art.

The Face in the Barroom was the Women’s Athletic Club’s offering for ’66 with Angela Petrocchi, Doris Cummins, Sarah Stadler, Angie Mei, Mary Severdia, Bernice Davis, Nat Worden, Anita Gedeon, Earline Lilly, Betty Huber, Irene Hart, Sivi Zapponi, and a cast of thousands, the ladies managed to waltz off with a number of prizes.